Chapter 7

Kylo Ren walked to the bath chambers in silence, his feet floating mere inches above the ground.

He twisted the handle to the right without touching it and cold water emerged, falling on him with force. He closed his eyes and waited. When he opened them next he gazed at the water as it fell over him but didn't touch him, covering him in a protective almost cocoon. He allowed himself a half smile at his exceptional use of the force and then let the cold water touch his warm skin. The contact was quick so no shivers formed upon his flesh.

His skin turned to ice but the water washed away his concerns and fears and left him feeling clean and fresh. A soap floated to his direction and then a liquid sprung to life from its container. He caught them in his grasp while they floated as if there had been zero gravity in his surroundings. The liquid went onto his head and the soap moved around his body without him touching it, without him doing anything.

When at last he was finished, a towel dried his hair and body and he walked out of his bath chambers with his feet and body bare, rejoicing in the feeling of being free. Maybe deep down he wished for a connection with Rey and that may have been a reason why he was behaving in such a manner, not caring about whether he wore clothing or not. Or maybe he had always been like that, which was indeed the case. On very few scenarios had he put on his clothes immediately after completing his waking ritual.

A droplet of water run down from his eyes, a remnant from his shower and he blinked to clear it. Suddenly he found himself in unknown surroundings, listening to the beat of a girl's heart he knew too well and staring at her form as she smiled brightly.

I want to squeeze him, was the girl's thoughts in his mind and surprised he blinked again only to realise he was no longer in his throne room, nor was he in his body. His hands were not his hands, as they were slender yet strong and darker in tone than his.

Rey, he tried to think of her but the girl didn't listen to him.

She was walking somewhere and the turmoil inside her was clear. This was unusual. Rey's emotions were always on the surface, easy to recognise and nothing hidden but now it appeared as if she was making a tremendous amount of effort to do just this.

Her surroundings were glamorous, golden tables and long halls with curved arches and aliens of every species roaming around her. She was on land, this much was obvious but where exactly was she?

Kylo blinked again and this time he was back in his dark throne room with the polished black marble. He looked down at his arms and he clutched and unclenched them, the muscle underneath bulging. Was this a new development of the bond? How strange. He did not think such a scenario was possible. He wondered whether it would evolve further. He had only spoken to Rey the previous day when he had allowed her to touch the dark side of the force.

He wondered whether this was why their bond had developed in such a way. And if so Kylo Ren was entirely certain he preferred it. He wanted to speak to the girl and maybe, even touch her. He wanted to see how the force was beginning to affect her and apologise for his behaviour. Guilt clouded over him at the way he had treated the girl as if she was an object and he had used her weakness against her. The whole meeting with her had been orchestrated. He had chosen a moment when he knew he would appear weak so that she would lower her shields and indeed this had occurred. He had exploited this against her with the sole aim of making her understand. It was the first time he had seen her this angry since their first meeting. When she had closed her fingers around his throat he could do nothing to stop her and he really had thought she would kill him. If not for their connection breaking he would have been a dead man. Which showed him how much further he needed to learn to control the force.

Kylo used the force to dry his hair then had a robe and linen pants brought to him to wear. He was in the middle of practising an ancient method of martial fighting when he heard soft music playing in the background.

He paused and looked around him in curiosity but he was still in his throne room. He continued with his movements until he noticed Ray's form in the background. She was smiling brightly, but the smile did not quite reach her eyes. Not that he had ever seen her smile in real life or otherwise.

She was wearing a loose-fitting dark blue dress, which fell upon her form elegantly and did nothing to conceal her body. Instead, he could see her form as the material was near translucent. His breath caught between his lips and when he went to gaze upon her face again, it looked cleaner and fresher.

Was the girl wearing make-up?

Indeed. Her lips were a dark magenta colour, a winged eyeliner accentuating the shape and curve of her eyes and her short hair fell elegantly down the side of her face. Kylo couldn't deny that in that moment, she looked beautiful, possibly the most beautiful woman in the whole universe. Yet utterly fake. He tried to remember her aroma but he could not associate it with her current perfume which had undertones of sweetness and aniseed.

This was not Rey.

Rey, he called to her.

For a second the girl turned around almost as if she had heard him but then smiled brighter and continued her conversation with someone he could not see. He remembered her surroundings from the previous vision but he was not close enough to her to see which furniture were around her. In three quick steps, he was next to her, so close that if he extended his arm he could touch her bare back. The girl shivered as if she had heard his thoughts and Kylo could see there was a huge table next to her and the dark marble on the floor where she was standing had turned pale white.

She was holding a glass with a strange liquid inside and brought it to her lips often but never took a seep. He couldn't quite feel her emotions as strongly as before. He only caught fleeting images and feelings whenever they were in such a situation. He had always been able to communicate with her, though.

Can you hear me?, he repeated again and took one step closer to her.

A quick rise in her heartbeat and a sudden turn to the left told him all he needed to know. The girl could most definitely hear him but she was in a public place and she would not reply to him. He rose his eyebrow and walked so that he stood opposite her and waited for her reaction.

She had seen him as she took a deep breath instantly and anger danced in her smiling expression. He returned the half smile and bowed.

You look splendid tonight, he told her in a low voice while the soft music in the background changed and another song began playing, one with a quicker beat. Yet I prefer you in your usual clothes.

Her expression froze for a second and her gaze softened then hardened again in an instant and he caught her looking down at her arm briefly.

Her left arm. He followed her gaze and tried to see her scar but there was nothing there. Still, she placed her right arm above it, almost unconsciously.

I apologise. For both the sorrows I have caused you, he said genuinely.

Rey gulped and he could see her heartbeat on the side of her neck. He moved closer to her, not paying much notice to the furniture he gently grazed.

The music became louder, his surroundings brighter and he saw forms of people moving around him. They were like shadows and when he blinked again he could see them for what they were. All dressed formally in elegant gowns and suits, aliens from every species present and each of them walking on the bones of a thousand dead people.

I can see them, he told Rey who had an expression of horror for a brief moment. All of them. What are you doing with such a company? You? The ever pure and innocent Rey.

A young gentleman approached the girl with a drink in his hand.

"My beautiful Jedi, this is for you. You may need it, soon enough. Princess Leia is going to come on stage" the male humanoid said.

He had blonde hair on both his head and chin and his suit was dark blue matching Rey's. He held his arm to her and she took it without a second thought. "You look so beautiful, tonight. I know, I know. I keep repeating myself but when I see beauty and force together I cannot help myself but marvel!"

Kylo's thoughts turned dark as he watched the man caress Rey's face who froze momentarily but did not return the gesture.

I can see him. The blonde man who holds your arm. I wonder if this new connection of ours would also allow me to injure him?, he thought to her and Rey gasped.

"My lady! Are you okay? Has the event tired you so much? I would escort you back to your bedchambers but you know how they are all dying to meet you" he explained and smiled brightly at her. "Such an honour to see a Jedi. You wouldn't want to not allow them this chance?"

Kylo Ren swallowed hard, a lump in his throat. His walk was dead serious as he went to the blonde and barely grazed the back of his coat to test the waters. Rey said nothing but waited, the air caught between her lungs.

The man felt nothing, as it seemed, so Kylo tried again this time by trying to pull on his hair but couldn't, his arm going through the man as if he were a projection.

Rey exhaled in what seemed to be relief, and Kylo turned to her, taking quick steps back in her direction. With her arm still in the man's embrace she walked behind him but her gaze was very much on Kylo Ren. He caught her other arm, the left one. The one he had placed his mark upon her twice already. He held it firmly in his hands, feeling both of their skins light on fire at the contact, goosebumps forming.

There was no dark smoke rising from his fingertips that day and he was glad. He didn't want anything to ruin that moment.

"My beautiful lady why are you resisting me?" said the blonde man and smiled then paused upon examining her expression. "You look flustered. Do I affect you this much? I promise you once the show ends we can go somewhere private if you wish..."

At least he is not stupid. He is right on one fact but wrong on all the others, Kylo whispered in her mind and Rey shivered. I wish I could cut his little arm and feed it to some beautiful creatures I came upon only last month.

"Can you excuse me for one minute? I will be right with you" Rey said to the blonde but he wouldn't let go of her arm.

"The show though!"

"I will be back shortly. Surely you would not deny the last Jedi the chance to calm herself down after ... This" she said and pointed to him.

He smiled knowingly and brought his hand to his lips. He placed a kiss and then let her go.

Up until that moment, Rey had been smiling but as soon as she turned her back, her expression became dark.

Get out of my head. You should not be here, now, she whispered while she took quick steps leading him to places he was not aware of. He followed her with less quick steps as their connection showed him her surroundings and where she was,up to a certain radius.

I apologise for interrupting such a tender moment between yourself and the ... whatever the name of the parasite who kissed your hand was, he said fuming and wishing he could chop the man's head off.

Rey smiled at that darkly as if she had read his thought, then straightened up.

I know our connection will not last long. It will diminish in a few minutes, she said as if to reassure herself and entered what appeared to be a stable. Is there anything you wish to tell me?

Kylo blinked taking in his new surroundings then turned his attention back to Rey. I am sorry. I misbehaved.

The girl looked at him with anger in her gaze. Is this another one of your brilliant plots to manipulate me and bring me to the dark side? Is that what the dark side did to me? When it made contact? Now I will forever have this in me. Do you not care?

You always had it in you. Having the force means you have both light and dark. Its just that dark tends to manifest itself more in strong users of the Force. We, in turn like to flirt with it, he allowed.

That made Rey pause. Are you teaching me about the Force? You? Additionally what you said doesn't make sense. You agree that there is light still in you.

He let out a breath of air with force. I never said there wasn't I just choose never to use it.

A rustle on the ground was heard and both looked to the direction it was coming from.

"Who's there?" Rey asked and took a brushing stick from the side, ready to use it as a weapon.

A young boy of maybe ten or eleven emerged from the shadows, his face caked with dust and mud. There were blonde highlights in his hair and he put his arms in the air.

"I am sorry. I didn't want to disturb you. I just heard voices and came out" he said, ready to burst into tears.

Kylo put his arms behind his back and watched the boy curiously. There was something different about him, but what, he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Rey put on her best smile and brushed the dust from her dress. "I talk to myself, occasionally. Its how Jedis learn to concentrate"

The boy's brows pulled together in confusion. "But you weren't talking to yourself. You were talking to him"

With his little arm raised, he pointed his finger at Kylo Ren's figure and Rey took a deep breath.

"You can see me?" Kylo asked in his deep voice, his brows puller together and took a step forward.

The boy nodded while Rey pressed her lips into a thin line.

"Does that mean our connection is becoming stronger?" he asked both himself and Rey and walked to the boy to test whether his new theory was correct.

The boy's heartbeat had increased and he stared back at him in fear.

"Don't hurt him!" Rey shouted and ran but she was too late.

Kylo had kneeled to the floor and his fingers had landed on the boy's head. Voices sprang to his mind, the force strong with him.

He pulled back just as Rey took the boy in her arms and stared back at Kylo. The boy was weeping and a horselike creature neighed and kicked at the door of his cage. Footsteps were heard from the outside of the building and all three of them turned their attention to the gate.

"Hide!" Rey told the boy and he jumped over the fence to where the creature was while the gate slowly opened.

The humanoid blonde was behind, looking all handsome and concerned.

"My Beautiful Jedi! What happened? Are you all right?" he asked, his voice going a bit higher than needed, the fakeness of it evident.

Rey smiled again brightly and took his arm. "I was just too excited to see the creatures of legend! I couldn't wait"

He turned serious. "Now is not the time. Tomorrow you will see them in action and we shall place bets. Until then we have to return to the Hall so follow me"

The humanoid almost dragged her and Kylo couldn't help himself but try to restrain him. His hands went through the air and he cursed as he followed them up the stairs.

What were the rules of this connection? The boundaries and limits of what they could do seemed to change all the time. He could touch and communicate with people who had the Force but no one else? Additionally, he could interact with objects from Rey's surroundings and she from his.

Suddenly, this gave him an idea and he wondered if it would work. He grabbed a lamp from Rey's side and threw it at the blonde. The object hit home and the man paused and looked behind him to where Kylo was standing, bewildered.

"Those mechanics really do not know how to do their jobs," he said to Rey looking above him, annoyed. "Tonight, maybe we can amputate one"

He didn't see the disgust and fear on Rey's face but Kylo noticed.

Is this how you feel about me when you hear of my accomplishments?, he asked her, curiously.

He saw the pain in her expression before it changed to a smile.

They are not accomplishments, Kylo, she said in his mind. You torture and kill people. You killed your own father. Someone who loved you dearly and would have done anything to get you back. Someone who stood by me.

Kylo didn't pause to further analyse where they were going as his gaze was fixed on Rey.

What else?

You have betrayed me time and time again. I still keep on holding hope but I am the only one and I cannot continue. You burnt me, you forced me to have physical contact with the dark side, you manipulated me. Every time this connection is forced upon us, I fear of what you will do next. Will you try to force me into something? Will you try to manipulate me? Will you kill me? Will you kill my loved ones and comrades like you did with Hans Solo?

He could not answer her. The pain in her gaze was too intense in that moment, a contrast to the smile on her lips. Her companion had paid no notice but instead had her seated in an elegant seat, between rows and rows of people who he could not interact with. He sat down on his knees, on Rey's left while the blonde was on the right.

"Look! Here, she comes! The elegant Princess" the blonde exclaimed and clapped, pretending to wipe unspilled tears from his eyes.

Rey clapped with him like a puppet while a man with a dark skin tone threw her a quick gaze.

His ex-stormtrooper, Kylo realised.

In that moment he envied the man, because his allegiances were clear, his conscience clear. He was smart and capable and he knew exactly what was happening in that moment.

The Resistance must be truly desperate to fall so low, he thought to himself before he saw a floating Leia emerge.

He hid further in his seat, the spectators in front of him having disappeared almost completely after the 5th row. Yet, Leia still stood there, her form clearer than anyone else's in the room.

The Force was strong with her.

That begged the question though. If he could see her, could she?

His mother's hair had turned almost white since last he had seen her, and she was wearing a gown befitting a queen. Despite the makeup, she appeared tired yet there was an energy within her that remained strong. A device had been placed next to her mouth and her voice was heard across the room.

"I am Leia Organa, princess of Aldeeran and General of the Resistance. I am the sister of Luke Skywalker the last Jedi Master. I have faced evil and I have come back from it. The dark side of the Force is now stronger than ever. I lost my Father to it and now my son. The First Order is terrorising us all and its leader, Kylo Ren, is the ultimate evil. He killed his own father in cold blood and will not hesitate to do the same to any of you. We need to stop him and the First order before it is too late. His power grows the more we stay dormant. Our provisions had been low until now but with your help, my friends, my allies, we will be able to crush him and make this Galaxy a better place for us all. He is ruthless. I gave up on him long ago and so should you. There is nothing in him that is pure. Nothing"

Kylo could feel his eyes watering, his heartbeat increasing, Rey's eyes on him.

The Princess had paused but upon taking a deep breath she continued. "As a mother to mother I call for your help tonight. There is no greater crime than standing against your own children. There is nothing harder. Doing this kills me inside. To choose that path you must understand how desperate I must be. But Kylo Ren has killed my son, has killed my husband and my brother and I will not let him kill anyone else I love"

She said so with such conviction that the stage shook and her gaze rested on Rey. Then she turned to the side and her eyes met his.

Kylo could feel her. He could feel her inside his mind, searching for an answer, almost begging him to stop.

Rey's image faltered Leia's wavering. The connection between him and them severed all together and he was left kneeling on the floor.

His knuckles were pure white from the effort it took to restrain himself and control his feelings. Dark smoke rose from them, tendrils spreading all around him. He heard a droplet of water touch the floor and he realised there was moisture in his eyes.

He closed them, trying to make it disappear but the image of his father appeared, shock and surprise in his eyes as Kylo had forced the blade in him. The sadness in Hans's eyes as he looked at Ben for one last time and realised he had failed. Kylo Ren had felt all this and more, his soul splitting in half. Darker tendrils enveloped him as he remembered the day his finger had been placed upon the button which would destroy the hall carrying his mother. His hand had wavered, his mind and consciousness split. Then, a missile from another jet had landed and he had felt relief and sadness both. He had thought of her as dead until he had seen her today in the flesh.

Then he remembered the day Luke had stood above him, the lightsabre lit and all the fear of a boy who has been betrayed by his master and his family. Snoke's voice as he shared Kylo's thoughts with Rey and how confident he had been that his pupil would kill her. Instead, he had lit the lightsabre and freed Rey and him together from his old master's control.

There had been no sadness in that moment. No uncertainty. His palm and fingers both had not shaken upon completing their mission. The only feeling he had felt after Snoke's death was the sense of freedom, victory, accomplishment and happiness that Rey was alive.

His own words came back to him, as his image was reflected back to him from the dark marble floor, his alter ego.

We all have light and dark in us. The Dark Side of the Force offers you power without restrictions. What you do with it depends solely upon you.

A/C. A bit longer than my usual chapters but think of it as Christmas special! Thank you for all your reviews and keep telling me what you think of the story, I like hearing your opinion and thoughts. Happy Christmas everyone :)